Greenwich teacher finalist in national education contest

Lisa Chamoff

Published 8:07 pm, Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Matt Myers teaches a chemistry class at Greenwich High School Thursday, March 8, 2012. Myers is one of 10 finalists in the Great American Teach-Off, a contest that will award $10,000 to one innovative middle or high school teacher.
Photo: Bob Luckey

Matt Myers, a science teacher at Greenwich High School, holds an iPad featuring the web page of his educational software company, Slate and Tablets, at the school Thursday March 8, 2012. Myers is one of 10 finalists in the Great American Teach-Off, a contest that will award $10,000 to one innovative middle or high school teacher.
Photo: Bob Luckey

Matt Myers teaches a chemistry class at Greenwich High School Thursday, March 8, 2012. Myers is one of 10 finalists in the Great American Teach-Off, a contest that will award $10,000 to one innovative middle or high school teacher.
Photo: Bob Luckey

Matt Myers teaches a chemistry class at Greenwich High School Thursday, March 8, 2012. Myers is one of 10 finalists in the Great American Teach-Off, a contest that will award $10,000 to one innovative middle or high school teacher.
Photo: Bob Luckey

Matthew Meyers wants the generation that has grown up with the Internet to be as excited about chemistry as they are about sharing the latest viral video on Facebook.

So last summer, Meyers, who had finished his first year teaching science at Greenwich High School, created an iPhone app that uses a game to help students remember the names of the elements on the Periodic Table.

His creative use of technology has made Meyers one of 10 finalists in the Great American Teach-Off, a contest sponsored by the online media company Good and the University of Phoenix. The winner will receive a $10,000 grant to use in the classroom.

Meyers had never taken a programming course, but taught himself to write the code for an iPhone application. He and his brother, a graphic designer based in New York City, founded the company Slate and Tablets.

"Memorizing the elements is rote memorization, but it's important," Meyers said. "We'd rather have them like doing it."

Meyers' Element Matching app has a way for students to post their progress to Twitter, which he hopes will get them eager to share their scores and compete with friends while learning.

"Our dream is to really make a social network, but for school," Meyers said. "Students share everything but school. I feel like it had to be done. Students really need to have that social feel to school."

Using technology in education is nothing new. Even Meyers, who grew up in Briarcliff Manor, N.Y., remembers playing games like Word Munchers and The Oregon Trail in the school computer lab.

"The difference now is that every kid has a computer in their pocket," Meyers said. "They shouldn't be forced to keep these incredible devices in their pocket."

Students say they enjoy using the app Meyers created. "I like a lot that he uses technology," said GHS sophomore Albert Lopez, 15. "It's easier, and I can use it at home."

If he wins, Meyers hopes to use the grant to create more games and purchase iPads, which students can use in the classroom, instead of completing paper worksheets.

The Great American Teach-Off was launched last year with a contest for teachers of kindergarten through sixth grade. The winner was a teacher from New Jersey who created a program to help children of military families better transition to their new schools.

Thousands of nominations came in for the contest for middle and high school teachers, which is being held for the first time.

"There's been a great discussion about the state of public education in the country," said Michael Sullivan, a spokesman for Apollo Group, the University of Phoenix's parent company. "We're trying to help the world see that while reform is necessary, there are great things happening every day and there are great teachers making sacrifices on behalf of their students."

People can vote for Meyers by visiting www.good.is/gato. Voting closes at the end of the day on April 9.